List of Titles

The effects of electrical and thermal boundary condition on the simulation of radiofrequency ablation of liver cancer for tumours located near to the liver boundary

- Ooi, Ean Hin, Lee, Khiy, Yap, Shelley, Khattab, Mahmoud, Liao, Iman, Ooi, Ean Tat, Foo, Ji, Nair, Shalini, Ali, Ahmad

Authors: Ooi, Ean Hin , Lee, Khiy , Yap, Shelley , Khattab, Mahmoud , Liao, Iman , Ooi, Ean Tat , Foo, Ji , Nair, Shalini , Ali, Ahmad
Date: 2019
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Computers in Biology and Medicine Vol. 106, no. (2019), p. 12-23
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Description: Effects of different boundary conditions prescribed across the boundaries of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) models of liver cancer are investigated for the case where the tumour is at the liver boundary. Ground and Robin-type conditions (electrical field) and body temperature and thermal insulation (thermal field) conditions are examined. 3D models of the human liver based on publicly-available CT images of the liver are developed. An artificial tumour is placed inside the liver at the boundary. Simulations are carried out using the finite element method. The numerical results indicated that different electrical and thermal boundary conditions led to different predictions of the electrical potential, temperature and thermal coagulation distributions. Ground and body temperature conditions presented an unnatural physical conditions around the ablation site, which results in more intense Joule heating and excessive heat loss from the tissue. This led to thermal damage volumes that are smaller than the cases when the Robin type or the thermal insulation conditions are prescribed. The present study suggests that RFA simulations in the future must take into consideration the choice of the type of electrical and thermal boundary conditions to be prescribed in the case where the tumour is located near to the liver boundary.

The effects of initial static deviatoric stress on liquefaction and pre-failure deformation characteristics of saturated sand under cyclic loading

- Liu, Zhiyong, Qian, Jiangu, Yaghoubi, Mohammadjavad, Xue, Jianfeng

Authors: Liu, Zhiyong , Qian, Jiangu , Yaghoubi, Mohammadjavad , Xue, Jianfeng
Date: 2021
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering Vol. 149, no. (2021), p.
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Description: Initial static deviatoric stress can affect the liquefaction behaviour and deformation characteristics of saturated sand under cyclic loading. A series of cyclic triaxial tests were performed on a saturated sand consolidated under a constant vertical stress but different lateral stresses. The dependence of failure mechanism, liquefaction resistance, and stiffness evolution of the sand on initial static deviatoric stress ratio was investigated on medium dense to dense sand samples (Dr = 0.44 to 0.82). The pre-failure deformation and the direction of strain accumulation were analysed under different static deviatoric stress ratios. The results indicate that under cyclic loading with stress reversal condition, the effective mean stress in the samples could reduce to zero, which leads to cyclic mobility failure and completely loss of stiffness due to liquefaction. The stress state after cyclic loading could be above critical state line. Under non reversal loading condition, however, the effective mean stress cannot reduce to zero and therefore the samples fail under shear due to large strain accumulation. In this condition, the stress state at the end of the cyclic loading is approximately at the critical state line and hardly affected by initial deviatoric stress. The failure resistance of medium dense to dense sand is not greatly affected by initial static deviatoric stress until it is large enough to meet non-reverse loading condition. The ratio of axial stain to excess pore water pressure accumulation (or Δϵacc a/Δϵacc v) increases with the average static deviatoric stress ratio ηav. The strain accumulation direction roughly follows the flow rule of Modified Cam Clay model, independent of relative density and failure mechanism. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

The effects of inter-trial interval on implicit learning of sequential visual isometric pinch task

- Hashemirad, Fahimeh, Fitzgerald, Paul, Zoghi, Maryam, Hashemirad, Masoumeh, Jaberzadeh, Shapour

Authors: Hashemirad, Fahimeh , Fitzgerald, Paul , Zoghi, Maryam , Hashemirad, Masoumeh , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
Date: 2017
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies Vol. 21, no. 3 (2017), p. 626-632
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Description: Abstract Sequential visual isometric pinch task (SVIPT) has been recently used as a visuomotor sequence task in clinical research. The influence of varying intervals between sequenced trials on the acquisition of implicit sequence learning is not yet determined for SVIPT. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inter-trial interval (ITI) on implicit motor sequence learning using SVIPT. A total of 32 healthy participants with mean age 31.3 ± 4.5 years participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four ITI groups (1, 2, 3 and 4 s). They were instructed to control their force on a force transducer to reach a number of targets which appeared on the computer screen by changing the pinch force exerted onto the transducer. In this study, outcome measures were movement time, error rate and skill, which were measured before and after training. Our results indicated that motor sequence learning similarly affected various ITIs. Indeed, all participants exhibited same improvement in implicit learning of SVIPT even though the ITIs varied from 1 to 4 s. Our findings suggest that implicit learning of SVIPT is independent of ITI within this range in healthy individuals.

The effects of low arched feet on lower limb gait kinematics in children

- Twomey, Dara, McIntosh, Andrew

Authors: Twomey, Dara , McIntosh, Andrew
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Foot Vol.22, no. (2), p.60-65
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Description: Background: The effects of foot posture on the dynamic function of the lower limb during gait remains relatively unknown. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate lower limb kinematics between the normal and low arched foot during the gait cycle, particularly in the transverse plane. Method: Twenty-four children, twelve with normal and twelve with low arched feet, aged 11-12 years underwent a lower limb three dimensional gait analysis. Temporo-spatial parameters and patterns and ranges of motion of kinematic data were examined for the pelvis, hip, knee and ankle throughout the gait cycle. Results: Overall, there were very few differences found in the kinematics of the lower limbs between the normal and low arched group. Increased external hip rotation (6-7°) in the low arched group was the only bilateral significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two foot groups. No significant differences existed in any temporo-spatial parameters between the two groups. Conclusions: The increased external hip rotation and greater external foot progression angle in the low arched foot highlights the need to examine gait comprehensively to establish cause or effect of these differences observed and hence determine appropriate treatment. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of mode delivery on postpartum sexual function : A prospective study

- De Souza, Alison, Dwyer, Peter, Charity, Melanie, Thomas, Elizabeth, Ferreira, C. H. J., Schierlitz, Lore

Authors: De Souza, Alison , Dwyer, Peter , Charity, Melanie , Thomas, Elizabeth , Ferreira, C. H. J. , Schierlitz, Lore
Date: 2015
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol. 122, no. 10 (2015), p. 1410-1418
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Description: Objective To determine the effect of mode of delivery and perineal injury on sexual function at 6 and 12 months postpartum. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary women's hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Population A cohort of 440 primigravid women. Methods The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was completed at first visit (7-19 weeks of gestation), and at 6 and 12 months postpartum. Main outcome measures A statistically significant difference in total FSFI or domain scores over time according to mode of delivery or perineal injury. Results In this cohort 54% of women had a normal vaginal delivery, 21% had an instrumental delivery, and 25% gave birth by caesarean section. No difference was found in total FSFI or domain scores according to mode of delivery over time between antenatal assessment and 12 months postpartum. Pain was decreased in the caesarean group only at 6 months postpartum. All groups showed pain scores at 12 months that were comparable with antenatal levels. For those who gave birth vaginally, 27% had an intact perineum, 50% had an episiotomy, and 6%, 14%, and 3% had first, second, and third-degree tears, respectively. The only differences between groups were found over time according to perineal injury at 6 months in the arousal domain. At 12 months, total FSFI and domain scores were no different to initial scores. Conclusions At 12 months postpartum sexual function has returned to early pregnancy levels, irrespective of mode of delivery or perineal injury. © 2015 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

The effects of monophasic anodal transcranial pulsed current stimulation on corticospinal excitability and motor performance in healthy young adults : a randomized double-blinded sham-controlled study

- Dissanayaka, Thusharika, Zoghi, Maryam, Farrell, Michael, Egan, Gary, Jaberzadeh, Shapour

Authors: Dissanayaka, Thusharika , Zoghi, Maryam , Farrell, Michael , Egan, Gary , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
Date: 2022
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Brain Connectivity Vol. 12, no. 3 (2022), p. 260-274
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Description: Introduction: Transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) could be used to deliver electrical pulses at different frequencies to entrain the cortical neurons of the brain. Frequency dependence of these pulses in the induction of changes in corticospinal excitability (CSE) has not been reported. Objective: We aimed to assess the effect of anodal tPCS (a-tPCS) at theta (4 Hz), and gamma (75 Hz) frequencies on CSE as assessed by the peak-to-peak amplitude of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and motor performance. Method: In a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled, crossover design study, 17 healthy participants attended 3 experimental sessions and received either a-tPCS at 4 and 75 Hz, or sham a-tPCS with 1.5 mA for 15 min. The amplitude of TMS-induced resting MEPs and time for completion of the grooved pegboard test were recorded at baseline, immediately after, and 30 min after a-tPCS. Results: Both a-tPCS at 75 and 4 Hz showed significantly increased CSE compared with sham. The a-tPCS at 75 Hz induced significantly higher CSE changes compared with 4 Hz. There was a significant increase in intracortical facilitation and a significant reduction in short-interval intracortical inhibition with both 4 and 75 Hz stimulations. However, the inhibition and facilitation did not correlate with CSE. Motor performance was unaffected by the interventions. Conclusion: The high CSE changes in M1 in a-tPCS at 75 Hz provide an initial understanding of the frequency-specific effect of a-tPCS. More research is needed to establish this concept and to assess its behavioral relevance. Transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) is a novel brain stimulation technique that can modulate neural oscillation via the pulsatile current induced by the stimulation. Using anodal tPCS, we demonstrate the neuromodulatory effect induced by the stimulation at theta and gamma frequencies. Our findings recommend anodal tPCS as a potential therapeutic tool for treating many neurological conditions with altered theta and gamma neural oscillatory activity. © Copyright 2022, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

The effects of perceived maternal parenting styles on the disruptive behaviours of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/oppositional defiant disorder : Mediation by hostile biased social cognitions

- Gomez, Rapson, Gomez, Andre

Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Gomez, Andre
Date: 2002
Type: Text , Book chapter
Relation: Advances in Psychology, Volume II Chapter 8 p. 37-55
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Description: B1
Description: 2003000181

The effects of proteins and low molecular weight surfactants on spray drying of model sugar-rich foods: Powder production and characterisation

- Jayasundera, Mithila, Adhikari, Benu, Adhikari, Raju, Aldred, Peter

Authors: Jayasundera, Mithila , Adhikari, Benu , Adhikari, Raju , Aldred, Peter
Date: 2011
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Food Engineering Vol. 104, no. 2 (2011), p. 259-271
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Description: The effects of proteins and low molecular weight surfactants (LMS) on spray drying and powder characteristics of model sugar-rich foods have been studied. Fructose and sucrose were selected as model sugar-rich foods and sodium caseinate (NaCas) was selected as a model protein. Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) and Polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) were chosen as model ionic and non-ionic low molecular weight surfactants. The feed solutions for spray drying had 25% solid concentration in all. To achieve identical powder recoveries of the order of 80% much higher NaCas:fructose ratio (30:70) was required compared to NaCas:sucrose ratio (0.5:99.5) which corresponded to 7.89% and 0.13% of sodium caseinate (initial bulk concentration), respectively. There was no change in powder recovery when the SSL concentration was increased from 0.01% to 0.05% in fructose-NaCas-SSL solution and also addition of 0.01% Tween-80 into fructose-NaCas solution did not affect the powder recovery (76.7 Â± 2.3%), however, it was slightly affected with the increase of Tween-80 to 0.05% (69.0 Â± 1.9%). At NaCas concentration above critical micelle concentration of NaCas (3% w/w), the presence of up to 0.05% low molecular weight surfactants had either no effect or minimal effect on the surface coverage of the droplets/particles and also on the powder recovery depending on the nature of the low molecular weight surfactants. The surface protein coverage and the recovery of the powder in sucrose-protein systems were very sensitive in the presence of low molecular weight surfactants due to being below the critical micelle concentration of NaCas. SSL displaced 2.0% and 29.3% of proteins from the droplet surface of sucrose-NaCas-SSL, respectively, when its concentration was varied from 0.01% to 0.05% thereby reducing the powder recovery from 75.5% to 30%. The addition of 0.01% Tween-80 in sucrose-NaCas solution resulted in a 48.2 Â± 1.5% reduction in powder recovery and at 0.05% concentration, it displaced a substantial amount of NaCas from the droplet surface and no powder was recovered. These phenomena are explained on the basis of surface-glass transition temperature, dynamic surface tension, nature of surfactants and glass transition temperature of sugars used. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy results showed that the powders of sucrose-NaCas, sucrose-NaCas with 0.01% SSL and all powders of fructose were amorphous. Â© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of resilience and turnover intention on nurses’ burnout : Findings from a comparative cross-sectional study

- Guo, Yu-fang, Plummer, Virginia, Lam, Louisa, Wang, Yan, Cross, Wendy, Zhang, Jing-ping

Authors: Guo, Yu-fang , Plummer, Virginia , Lam, Louisa , Wang, Yan , Cross, Wendy , Zhang, Jing-ping
Date: 2019
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Clinical Nursing Vol. 28, no. 3-4 (2019), p. 499-508
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Description: Aims and objectives: To investigate burnout among nurses from Australia and China and explore the effects of resilience and turnover intention on nurse burnout between the two countries. Background: Nursing shortages and burnout have become serious problems worldwide in recent years. In both developed and developing countries, such as Australia and China, nurse burnout levels are high and therefore attract concern from nurse managers, hospital administrators, nurse educators and researchers. However, few studies have been conducted exploring the differences in burnout and its predictors between Australian and Chinese nurses, particularly investigating the differences in the effect sizes of the predictors. Design: A comparative cross-sectional design was employed. Methods: A total of 100 Australian nurses and 197 Chinese nurses participated in the study. Australian participants completed an online questionnaire, while Chinese participants completed a hardcopy questionnaire. Burnout, resilience and turnover intention were measured. Results: Burnout was worse for Australian participants than Chinese participants. Only having turnover intention significantly predicted burnout in Australian participants, while low resilience, having turnover intention and low level of regular exercise strongly predicted burnout in Chinese participants. The effect size of turnover intention on burnout in the Australian group was almost twice that of the Chinese group. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that there are differences in burnout between Australian and Chinese nurses. The effects of resilience and turnover intention on burnout between the two groups are also identified. Relevance to clinical practice: The differences in nurse burnout and the effects of resilience and turnover intention on burnout should be better understood by nurse managers from Australia and China. Moreover, developing effective strategies relevant to their own country to reduce nurse burnout is recommended.

The effects of testing procedure on critical fall height determination for third-generation synthetic turf

- Twomey, Dara, Otago, Leonie, Saunders, Natalie

Authors: Twomey, Dara , Otago, Leonie , Saunders, Natalie
Date: 2011
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Sports Engineering Vol. 13, no. 3 (2011), p. 145-151
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Description: Test procedures and their accuracy in determining critical fall height (CFH) on sporting grounds are paramount to player safety. The procedure currently adopted for synthetic turf in Australian football [1] consists of four consecutive drops at various drop heights at three test locations on the sample. The quantity and packing of the infill in third-generation turf and the pooling effect of the rubber particles with consecutive drops suggests that the current standard protocol may need re-assessment. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether current methods of testing for CFH are appropriate for third-generation synthetic turf or whether an alternative or adapted method needs to be developed. CFH was measured, using a HISUN Uniaxe-II Impact Tester, on 12 combinations of synthetic turf samples (four different products with three shock pad options). Three conditions were investigated on each sample; the existing protocol; an alternative 12 single-drop protocol and four single drops from the CFH determined from the existing protocol. A significant difference was found for both absolute and percentage difference between the existing and 12 single-drop protocol, with p = 0. 001 and t = 4. 33 and p < 0. 001 and t = 6. 03, respectively. There was also a significant difference between the CFH reached with and without a shock pad for both the existing protocol and the 12 single-drop protocol. The results of this pilot study demonstrate that differences do occur with alterations to the existing protocol and highlight the need for a more detailed characterisation of testing methods on third-generation synthetic turf and the response of surfaces to them. Â© 2011 International Sports Engineering Association.

The effects of the no-touch gap on the no-touch bipolar radiofrequency ablation treatment of liver cancer : a numerical study using a two compartment model

- Yap, Shelley, Cheong, Jason, Foo, Ji, Ooi, Ean Tat, Ooi, Ean Hin

Authors: Yap, Shelley , Cheong, Jason , Foo, Ji , Ooi, Ean Tat , Ooi, Ean Hin
Date: 2020
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Applied Mathematical Modelling Vol. 78, no. (2020), p. 134-147
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Description: The no-touch bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for cancer treatment is advantageous primarily because of its capability to prevent tumour track seeding (TTS). In this technique, the RF probes are placed at a distance (no-touch gap) away from the tumour boundary. Ideally, the RF probes should be placed sufficiently far from the tumour in order to avoid TTS. However, having a gap that is too large can lead to ineffective ablation. This paper investigates how the selection of the no-touch gap can affect the tissue electrical and thermal responses during the no-touch bipolar RFA treatment. Simulations were carried out on a two compartment model using the finite element method. Results obtained indicated that a gap that is too large may lead to incomplete ablation and failure to achieve significant ablation margin. However, keeping the gap to be too small may not be clinically practical. It was suggested that the incomplete ablation and the insufficient ablation margin observed in some of the cases may require the placement of additional probes around the tumour. The present study stresses on the importance of identifying the optimal no-touch gap that can avoid TTS without compromising the treatment outcome. © 2019 Elsevier Inc.

The effects of trans-cranial direct current stimulation intervention on fear: A systematic review of literature

- Yosephi, Mohaddeseh, Ehsani, Fatemeh, Daghiani, Maryam, Zoghi, Maryam, Jaberzadeh, Shapour

Authors: Yosephi, Mohaddeseh , Ehsani, Fatemeh , Daghiani, Maryam , Zoghi, Maryam , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
Date: 2019
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Journal of Clinical Neuroscience Vol. 62, no. (2019), p. 7-13
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Description: •Cathodal tDCS may reduce fear and disrupt the fear memory more than anodal tDCS.•Phase of fear memory is important factor in determining polarity of tDCS electrodes.•The brain region is important factor in determining polarity of tDCS electrodes.•The assessed fear parameters are important to show the effect of the tDCS intervention. Intensifying fear and fear of pain may lead to some diseases such as panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depression, etc. A number of studies indicated positive effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on controlling fear and some studies did not observe any effect or even negative effect on decreasing fear. Due to lack of consensus in the findings of research, we aimed to systematically review studies, which investigated the effect of tDCS on fear. A literature search was conducted using the databases of PubMed, Science Direct, OVID, CINAHL, PEDro, Cochrane, Scopus and MEDLINE. Fear, fear memory, fear of pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, electrical brain stimulation were applied as keywords. The valid assessment scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. The results of this systematic review revealed that the cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS) on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as compared to anodal tDCS (a-tDCS) could significantly reduce fear and modulate the fear memory. In addition, the findings of this study showed that the c-tDCS has positive effect on behavioural parameters of fear, while it cannot change biochemical parameters of fear during limited sessions of intervention. Application of c-tDCS on the left DLPFC could significantly reduce fear and modulate the fear memory.

The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on short-interval intracortical inhibition and intracortical facilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

- Biabani, Mana, Aminitehrani, Maryam, Zoghi, Maryam, Farrell, Michael, Egan, Gary, Jaberzadeh, Shapour

Authors: Biabani, Mana , Aminitehrani, Maryam , Zoghi, Maryam , Farrell, Michael , Egan, Gary , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
Date: 2018
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Reviews in the Neurosciences Vol. 29, no. 1 (2018), p. 99-114
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Description: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is increasingly being used to affect the neurological conditions with deficient intracortical synaptic activities (i.e. Parkinson's disease and epilepsy). In addition, it is suggested that the lasting effects of tDCS on corticospinal excitability (CSE) have intracortical origin. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine whether tDCS has any effect on intracortical circuits. Eleven electronic databases were searched for the studies investigating intracortical changes induced by anodal (a) and cathodal (c) tDCS, in healthy individuals, using two paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paradigms: short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF). Additionally, motor-evoked potential (MEP) size alterations, assessed by single-pulse TMS, were extracted from these studies to investigate the probable intracortical origin of tDCS effects on CSE. The methodological quality of included studies was examined using Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Downs and Black's (D&B) assessment tools. Thirteen research papers, including 24 experiments, were included in this study scoring good and medium quality in PEDro and D&B scales, respectively. Immediately following anodal tDCS (a-tDCS) applications, we found significant decreases in SICI, but increases in ICF and MEP size. However, ICF and MEP size significantly decreased, and SICI increased immediately following cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS). The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that a-tDCS changes intracortical activities (SICI and ICF) toward facilitation, whereas c-tDCS alters them toward inhibition. It can also be concluded that increases and decreases in CSE after tDCS application are associated with corresponding changes in intracortical activities. The results suggest that tDCS can be clinically useful to modulate intracortical circuits.

The effects of ultrasound treatment and nano-zinc oxide coating on the physiological activities of fresh-cut kiwifruit

- Meng, Xiangyong, Zhang, Min, Adhikari, Benu

Authors: Meng, Xiangyong , Zhang, Min , Adhikari, Benu
Date: 2014
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Food and Bioprocess Technology Vol. 7, no. 1 (2014), p. 126-132
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Description: This study evaluated the efficacy of ultrasound treatment and nano-zinc oxide (ZnO) coating individually and in combination in preserving the quality of fresh-cut kiwifruit. The nano-ZnO coating solution was prepared by mixing the ZnO nanoparticles in premixed chitosan-acetic acid solution. The fresh-cut kiwifruit were dipped in NaClO solution (50 Î¼L L-1 sodium, control), subjected to ultrasound treatment (40 KHz, 350 W, 10 min), or coated with nano-ZnO solution. The fresh-cut kiwifruit samples were also subjected to combined ultrasound treatment and nano-ZnO coating. All of these test samples were stored at 4 Â°C for 10 days. The effects of these treatments on the quality parameters such as the production of carbon dioxide and ethylene, mass loss, and flesh firmness were investigated. At the end of storage, the combination treatments with ultrasound treatment at 40 KHz with 1.2 g L-1 nano-ZnO coating showed lower production of ethylene (1.86 Î¼L kg-1 h-1) and carbon dioxide (10.01 mg kg-1 h-1), water loss (0.46 %), and texture (7.87 N). Hence, it was concluded that the combination of ultrasound treatment with nano-ZnO coating is a promising approach to extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut kiwifruit. Â© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

The effects of unihemispheric concurrent dual-site transcranial direct current stimulation on motor sequence learning in healthy individuals: A randomized, clinical trial

- Talimkhani, Ailin, Abdollahi, Iraj, Zoghi, Maryam, Talebi Ghane, Elaheh, Jaberzadeh, Shapour

Authors: Talimkhani, Ailin , Abdollahi, Iraj , Zoghi, Maryam , Talebi Ghane, Elaheh , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
Date: 2018
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Iranian red crescent medical journal Vol. 20, no. 7 (2018), p.
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Description: Background: Unihemispheric concurrent dual-site anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCSUHCDS) of primary motor cortex (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) are introduced as effective techniques on M1 corticospinal excitability enhancement and its after-effects. Objectives: The current study aimed at investigating the potential effects of multiple sessions of a-tDCSUHCDS of M1-DLPFC on motor skills learning in healthy individuals. Methods: The randomized, clinical trial was conducted on a total of 37 volunteers completed all sessions of the study and were randomly divided into two groups of a-tDCSUHCDS and sham stimulation by the block randomization method. The current study was performed from January to May 2017 in Iran. Participants attended daily 20-minute motor training sessions for three consecutive days, while they concurrently received a-tDCS. Motor skills were assessed before the intervention (day 1), immediately after the intervention (day 3), and one week after the completion of the intervention. Results: A total of 37 participants were included in the data analysis. Immediately after the completion of the intervention on day 3, mean skills in the experimental and control groups were 0.33 and 0.30, respectively. One week after the completion of the intervention, mean skills in the experimental and control groups were 0.36 and 0.29, respectively. The trend of motor learning considerably increased in the experimental (0.17 P < 0.001) and control (0.11 P < 0.001) groups. No significant difference was observed in motor learning immediately after the intervention between the groups (P = 0.23), while there was a significant difference in long-term offline learning between the groups (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Greater motor skills in the a-tDCSUHCDS group compared with the sham tDCS group at one week retention indicated the robustness of the a-tDCSUHCDS effect.

The effects of vaporisation, condensation and diffusion of water inside the tissue during saline-infused radiofrequency ablation of the liver: A computational study

- Kho, Antony, Ooi, Ean, Foo, Ji, Ooi, Ean Tat

Authors: Kho, Antony , Ooi, Ean , Foo, Ji , Ooi, Ean Tat
Date: 2022
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: International journal of heat and mass transfer Vol. 194, no. (2022), p. 123062
Full Text: false
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Description: •Effect of vaporisation, condensation & diffusion on saline-infused RFA was studied.•Condensation significantly affects the prediction of the RFA treatment outcome.•Water diffusion is insignificant when compared to condensation.•The model serves as benchmark for the accurate modelling of saline-infused RFA. [Display omitted] Saline-infused radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a thermal ablation technique that combines saline infusion and Joule heating to destroy cancer tissues. During treatment, the intense heat generated can cause water from the infused saline and inside the tissue to vaporise. Conventionally, the effects of vaporisation have been modelled by adopting the apparent heat capacity method. However, this approach does not account for the loss of water content during vaporisation, which raises questions on its accuracy, primarily because of the large water content present during saline-infused RFA. To address this, the present study proposes an alternative approach to model vaporisation effects during saline-infused RFA. The approach adopts and modifies the water fraction method to account for the effects of vaporisation, condensation and diffusion of water inside the tissue during saline-infused RFA. The framework was compared against the commonly used apparent heat capacity method through numerical simulations carried out on 3D finite element models of the liver. Results indicated that unlike condensation, the role of diffusion of water during saline-infused RFA was not as significant as condensation, where the latter was found to affect the ablation process. With the water fraction method, there was a trend of exponential decrease in tissue electrical conductivity with time, which ultimately led to the prediction of smaller coagulation volume than that of the apparent heat capacity method.

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